Well who doesn’t love sunshine? It feels fantastic and also has numerous health benefits. It improves our immune functions, our mood, and catalyzes vitamin D production in our bodies.
Vitamin D supports our oral health in two ways:
- Vitamin D functions as an anti-inflammatory. Periodontal disease is the #1 cause of tooth loss in adults and it’s a result of inflammation of the gums due to harmful bacteria. Many studies have found that people with high levels of vitamin D were less likely to experience bleeding gums.
- Vitamin D also helps our bodies absorb and utilize calcium. One of its major functions is moderating other vitamins and minerals (including calcium). Calcium supports jaw and bone strength and fortifies our teeth. That is why we fortify milk with vitamin D. Several studies show people whom live in regions with little sunlight have greater cavity risk, sometimes as much as double.
Get Your Daily Dose
It doesn’t take long for your body to get the vitamin D it needs from the sun. On days when you can’t get any sunlight you can also obtain vitamin D from these foods:
- Fatty fish or egg yolks
- Orange Juice, fortified milk, soy milk and cereals
- Vitamin D supplements
Grab Some Sunshine Today!
Be careful about how much sun exposure you’re getting. You do not need to lie in the sun all day to get the vitamin D your body needs. Use this blog post as a reason to go outside today and soak up some rays.
As always, thank you for being a part of our practice family!
